As every pristine parcel of information about the new Star Wars movie pew-pews against the bow of nerd-anticipation, it’s a perfect time to look back at what a long, strange space-journey it’s been. Today’s George Lucas-approved nostalgia comes in the form of a GIF that spans the entire evolution of the stormtrooper helmet.

Created by the staff at MMtoolparts, who previously brought us morphing GIFs about the Batmobile and Iron Man, this piece centers on one of the definitive elements of Star Wars gear. The visualization took a long time to produce because of all the research it took–beyond merely watching Return of the Jedi for the zillionth time.

The GIF includes every type of stormtrooper that shows up in the films, including such briefly seen entrants like the “Clone Paratrooper.” Although it doesn’t include different clone ranks, pilots (like TIE Fighter pilots), or commanders, it has enough Imperial Guard headgear to make fans’ heads spin.